The Offering to Pan

From the Getty Museum record

A painting by Nicolas Poussin, *The Triumph of Pan*, inspired the figures in this square tapestry, which include dancing women with tambourines, a goat, and a statue of Pan--the Greek god of flocks and fertility. They symbolize the sort of revelry inspired by Pan and the wine god Bacchus, who were celebrated at lively feasts during antiquity. The three female dancers and a young jester perform on a checkered floor in a narrow space partially enclosed by a balustrade and potted fruit trees. The statue of Pan stands beneath an ornate canopy in the center of this arcade. Columns on either side of the statue support an architectural cornice adorned with floral bouquets and a peacock. A large eagle hovers directly above. Befitting the tapestry's theme of honoring Pan, the border features a reclining *chinoiserie* figure imbibing a cup of wine. Scrolls, floral bouquets, exotic birds, and hybrid human figures complete the ornate border design. The museum has three other tapestries from this series: [The Offering to Bacchus](http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/5923/), [The Camel](http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/204701/), and [Musicians and Dancers](http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/204702/).